Updated guidance published on Length of the school week

Published 28 March 2022

Last updated 17 July 2023 — See all updates

Length of the school week: non-statutory guidance

Length of the school week: case studies

These documents provide information on the expectation for all state-funded mainstream schools to deliver a school week of at least 32.5 hours by September 2024 at the latest.

They set out steps for increasing time beyond the minimum school week and provide case studies where schools have found positive benefits from increasing the length of their school week, or having a school week of 32.5 hours or more.

This guidance is for:

• leaders of schools and trusts
• school staff
• trust boards and governing bodies in all maintained schools, academies and free schools, special schools and alternative provision

This follows the publication of the Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child white paper.